Our Supporters
Photo: Riroriro / grey warbler & horoeka / lancewood
Credit: Anon. 2014
Without support from funders large and small, there would be no Ark to protect our precious ngahere. On behalf of all those involved with the Ark in the Park, we would like to thank the following groups who have donated a range of resources, from funding to staff time.
Current funders
The following are those who have supported the Ark through recent grants, or have provided ongoing support:
Without Forest & Bird, there would be no Ark in the Park. Dedicated volunteers from the Waitākere Branch first imagined the Ark back in 1999, with the Ark subsequently joining the Forest & Bird National Projects list as it grew in size. Ongoing support includes employing the two Ark staff members, support from the national fundraising team, communications and marketing, and technical advice from across Aotearoa.
As a partner of the Ark, Auckland Council offer ongoing support which includes technical expertise, funding, and tools for pest control.
Most recently, Auckland Council granted the Ark $120,000 to support salaries, pest control gear, and project updates in 2023-24.
The Michael J Taylor Charitable Trust for Nature Conservation supports our kōkako conservation, thanks to an ongoing relationship with Public Trust.
Formerly Chair of F&B’s Auckland Branch, Michael helped set up the Waitākere Branch. An experienced ornithologist, he was the Regional Rep. of Birds NZ and was involved in the major 1980s census of the now extinct Coromandel Ranges kōkako.
The kind gift left in his will ensures his avid support of Aotearoa’s birds will continue for generations.
The Trusts Community Foundation supports community groups across New Zealand, including the Ark in the Park. We send in a grant application every year, and their reliable support has been outstanding. Their grant supports our Volunteer Coordinator, which allows us to support our 400+ volunteers.
The Department of Conservation have previously supported the Ark by awarding funding through grants.
They currently support the Ark by providing advice from across Aotearoa, most notably the Kōkako Recovery Group who offer guidance for kōkako conservation.
A generous four year grant from Foundation North to Forest & Bird in 2019 allowed not only the Ark to flourish, but other projects across Tāmaki Makarau, including Pest Free Hibiscus Coast, and the South-East Wildlink. They’ve supported us with another four year grant in 2024, to help ensure our work can continue.
The Waitākere Ranges Local Board have continually offered support to the Ark project, from grants to allocating members as specific Ark contacts. We greatly appreciate their local support, and most recently they granted funding our 2024 Matariki event, as well as helping to keep Ark staff in the office.
The New Zealand Lottery Grants Board kindly granted the Ark funding in 2024 for a project review and improvements – watch this space!
The Ark also receives support from the following:
- CatchIT – free software for New Zealand community conservation projects, hosted at the University of Auckland.
- Auckland Zoo have two different staff groups who have adopted areas of the Ark. They visit us 3-4 times a year for baiting trips.
- Give a Trap – find out more here.
Past supporters:
We wouldn’t be where we are today without those who have supported us in the past:
- MacPac Fund for Good donated 12 personal locator beacons (PLBs) to the Ark in 2021.
- Auckland Zoo spent many years conducting our annual kōkako census at a hugely discounted rate.
- Pak’n’Save Lincoln Road gifted us eggs for many years to lure pests into our traps, until we swapped over to fake eggs realistic enough to fool chickens.